Waterlust
by harley-kenickie
Summary: The girls are off to college but they're not the only ones. Emma's back and figuring out how to handle such a relationship with Ash, but in person and not long-distance. Cleo and Lewis deal with the troubles of a long-term relationship. Bella and Will work through the honeymoon stage. Rikki and Zane dance around each other, not ever knowing really where they are. S4.
1. Moving In

Moving In 

Rikki tossed Bella the last of the hand towels and fell onto one of their stools. Bella placed the towels into a drawer before turning to lean over the sink. Rikki sat across from her on the bar side of the counter, they both looked tired. Three days straight of unpacking and placing all of their belongings seemed to take more of a toll on the girls than expected. Bella filled a glass with water and downed it within minutes. Rikki scratched her head while turning in the seat, the dining and living area behind her had worked out nicely.

"We're finally done!" Bella exclaimed, admiring their decorations.

The two girls had decided to move in together. Seeing as Rikki was the only single one out of the group and Bella wasn't ready to move in with Will, they thought this would be a good idea. Cleo and Lewis had gotten their own place to share with Emma and Ash once they made it up to the city surrounding the college campus. The girls and Lewis had gotten into a college just a few towns north of where their old town. Emma was finally done traveling and had decided to rejoin her best friends. Ash had gotten a job helping the schools librarian.

"Great, I need a long bath after all that work," Rikki complained.

The older mermaid shook her head, "We still need to go meet up with Emma and Cleo. I'm really excited about meeting her."

"Can't we go after? Look at us, we smell horrible!" The curly haired girl admitted, disgustingly.

"Fine, but make it quick. Emma sounds really nice," Bella walked through the living room and into her room.

Rikki walked next to the kitchen towards hers before turning to warn Bella, "Don't take it the wrong way if she's not too nice in the beginning, Bell. She's stubborn and gets jelious fairly quick. Maybe we should dial down the gossip for a few days. She hardly knows anything that has happened."

Bella hesitated before replying, both of their heads peering out their doors, "So she doesn't know about Zane and Sophie?"

"No," Rikki was about to close her door before deciding to elaborate, "She broke her phone half way through the trip."

"Oh, that must have sucked!" Bella turned to close her door now.

"Bella.."

"Yes?"

"I found something out that I kind of need to talk about.."

Bella walked to the middle of the living room, "What is it, Rikki?"

"I heard Zane got into school here."

"Oh," Bella's face showed more shock than Rikki's had when she'd found out, "My gosh. I'm sorry. Hey, if we see him around, I'll solidify all of the water and sweat on him and hopefully then he will understand to stay away."

Rikki smiled at the gesture, "That won't be necessary. Even after all he did.. I don't- I can't see him get hurt, you know?"

"I understand. I'll get your ok before doing anything too harsh."

They chuckled and went their separate ways.

* * *

The two blondes made their way into a local coffee and juice cafe. Upon seeing their crowd of friends, they headed over. Will greater Bella with a kiss before keeping his hand on her waist in a possessive manner. Lewis and Cleo were already in their own world, next to Will. Rikki too the seat between Bella and Emma after hugging her long gone friend. Ash was sitting between Lewis and Emma.

Emma noticed the three girls matching necklaces and fiddled with her old locket, "Hi there, I'm Emma."

Bella shook her hand, "Bella. I've heard a lot about you."

"I wish I could say the same," Emma turned toward Will, "You are?"

"Will," He offered her his hand as well, "I know about the _thing. _Just so you know."

Emma chuckled at his openness, "Thank you for telling me."

Rikki leaned toward Emma, "Bella's been a mermaid sense she was a little girl."

"Oh," Emma sat straight again and looked over the two additions to their little group.

Cleo addressed the group, "I'm so happy we're all here together! Who would have ever thought we could end up here?!"

Her excitement was contagious.

"So everyone here's going to the same college?" Lewis asked innocently, not knowing that it reminded Rikki of her ex.

Emma shook her head, "Ash is working in the library."

"I'm still back near Macko. I've been training for months," Will explained, "Haven't had time to worry about school."

"Training for what?" Ash asked.

"I'm a diver."

Emma looked between Will and Bella, "That's exciting."

"You should see him, he's one of the best." Bella boasted.

"I hear you used to be a competitive swimmer, before all this I mean," Will directed to topic towards Emma.

Rikki tried to listen to the rest of the conversation but the focus needed for that was lost on the couples surrounding her. Between Lewis and Cleo never being able to stop touching each other and Ash's insistence that Emma sit a bit closer to him than publicly expectable, Rikki was starting to feel out of place. With that feeling, her mind also raced back to her time with Zane. All of the good times were, more than great memories and she wondered when she'd be able to look back on it all without feeling the betrayal and hurt he'd done to her. She thought it would probably never happen and it made her eyes want to tear up at how tainted their good memories were now.

Taking a deep breath, she realized she had to get out of their before setting off a lightening storm, "Hey, sorry guys but I've got to go. I'll talk to you later."

With that Rikki was up and out the door before anyone could protest.

A few streets over was the campus, and a few more after that was her apartment. Not wanting to go inside just yet, she walked around it all and onto the beach. If she tried hard enough, the sand and the wind almost felt like home. She was reminded of all her lonely walks on the beach back near Macko. The sounds of children playing and building sand castles filled her ears and she focused solely on their laughter.

Until she heard a voice she hadn't in nearly five months.

But _god_ had she missed that deep sound.

"Alright, I'll ketch you later then," Zane was in front of her and more towards the roads saying goodbye to a group of friends she had never seen before. She wondered how he'd met them, why they were leaving so early, how he'd spent his summer, why he'd chosen this college, had he missed her as much as she'd missed him, was he going to notice her anytime soon and beg her to talk to him? And as these questions spiraled around her head, she kept coming back to one conclusion; she shouldn't be so caught up over him.

She picked up her pace and tried to get past him. She failed.

"Rikki?" Zane started towards her, she still was determined to get away, "Rikki! Wait!"

He finally caught up to her and kept her pace as they moved on the beach together once again. Like old times.

"What do you want, Zane?" Rikki only allowed herself to glance at him.

He frowned, "I don't want anything, Rikki. I'll leave you alone then.."

As he stopped and turned back the way they had came, something took over her and made her stop as well, "No. What is it, Zane? There had to of been a reason you came to talk to me instead of ignoring me like we have been."

His hair blew frantically in the wind as he squinted back at her, "I just wanted to see how you are. I heard you got into the college, here."

"And so did you, Zane."

He stepped a bit closer, "So how are you, Rikki?"

"I'm fine. Full of sunshine, as per usual," She joked facing away from him and towards the tide.

He smirked at her behavior, standing shoulder to shoulder with her, "That sounds like a lie if I ever heard one."

"Well, how I am and what I'm doing with my life doesn't concern you. Anymore, Zane. So drop it."

Zane felt the weight of his actions come down harder onto his shoulders, "I know it doesnt. I just want you to be happy, Rikki."

"Alright then," She turned to leave.

"I'm sorry. I know it doesn't mean much and I can't go back and change things but I'm sorry. For all of it. I'm an idiot for letting Sophie seduce me and allowing my unneeded greed to take me over. I'm the most idiotic man if I let someone like you go. So I just want to say I'm sorry because that's all I really can say," Zane spoke to her back and he could tell he'd caught her off guard.

Rikki turned half way around and stared at him, "I accept your apology. But I'm not saying I forgive you. I'm not saying I'll forget about it all either."

There was a long silence neither one of them wanted to fill.

But Rikki was eager to get out of there before she did anything stupid, "Just, thank you for saying it. That took courage."

Zane glanced at his feet, "So I'll see you around then?"

"You might," Rikki continued her walk with a new sense of familiarity. She knew where she stood with Zane and that's just one more step toward getting over him, or at least that's what she thought.


	2. Subtle Endeavors

Subtle Endeavors 

Emma cautiously entered the café, fidgeting with her purse. Her eyes darted around the room twice before spotting her friends across the way. Even more to her pleasure, Bella wasn't there. Emma had no idea why she felt the way she did, but due to her gentle but stubborn nature, she was going to need the whole story of her year away. Bella seemed like a good person and so did her boyfriend, Emma just couldn't help but feel entirely out of the loop. _Like what was up with Rikki yesterday?_

"Hey, there!" Emma bounced into her seat next to Cleo. The girls smiled brightly and greated their long-lost friend.

The waitress came up to the trio, "What can I get you, miss?"

"Uh, a strawberry kiwi smoothie?" Emma practically asked, she was so uncertain. This café was going to take time to get used to.

The waitress nodded and strutted off with her long dark hair falling over her shoulders.

"So, do you guys like this place? I do," Cleo asked, "It's so homey but still very... _beachy._"

"And that's right up your alley," Rikki half-hearted joked. Her eyes stayed looking inside her coffee mug.

Cleo smiled softly and looked expectantly at Emma, "It's nice. Definitely not the JuiceNet but, it'll do."

"At least my place had live music," Rikki muttered more to herself than to her companions.

The tanned waitress sat her smoothie down quietly and then left the girls alone to continue their some what private conversation. Emma squinted her eyes at the other girl, "Your place? What do you mean?"

Cleo cut in, "Zane bought the JuiceNet after it went under. Renamed it Rikki's Cafe, renovated it and became partners with her. It was running fairly smooth for a good while there. I liked it too."

"Nate's band didn't suck too horribly after Bella came along too. So that's a plus," Rikki chuckled at the memory.

Emma shook her head in disbelief, "If it was doing to good, what happened?"

Emma noticed she'd his a cord, with both girls. Rikki straightened up in her seat and kept her focus on the mug.

The brunette answered, "That's a really long story. I can explain it all to you later."

"But wha-" Emma was interrupted.

Rikki was the one to talk, "Just let her do it later, Em."

"Alright," Emma didn't like seeing Rikki in one of these moods.

Cleo tried to lighten it, "So Lewis and I are both majoring in Marine Biology. He's going for a minor in Physics, too. I'm so excited to have so many classes with him this year! And when I don't, I have a pretty good chance of having some with Bella!"

"That's great," Emma's voice was flat for a moment, "I'm majoring in Business. I think I might want to open something of my own one day. I have no idea what yet, so don't ask. I'll tell when I've figured it out."

Rikki sighed, knowing the girls would continue to stare at her until she told them, "I'm majoring in Psychology and hoping to minor in European History."

"That's awesome! I never knew you liked history!" Cleo's voice was laced with surprise.

"Always have," Rikki finished her drink off. She began to rise.

"Where are you going?" Emma questioned.

Rikki raised her eyebrows and spoke with more attitude than usual, "The bathroom. Last time I checked, that was legal."

"I just thought you were running off again like you did yesterday."

"That was then. This is today," Rikki walked past the girls and towards the back of the café.

Once she was out of sight Cleo turned to Emma, "She's really touch and go these days. I think she's letting the break up get to her even more than before we moved. You know, maybe she's seen Zane around and that's got her bummed? Or I could be completely off."

"Who knows with her?" Emma paused, "I feel like I hardly know you guys now. You seriously need to tell me the Cafe story when we get home, Okay? Oh. And the story of their break up. They seemed to be going really strong before I left..."

"Will do," Cleo's phone vibrated and she checked the message, "Oh, Bella's on her way here. Maybe this way you two can get to know each other more openly with the guys not here! Oh my goodness! I'm so excited! Everything is great now!"

Rikki plopped back down into her booth, "Have you guys seen Bella? She said she needed to tell me something this morning but then left before we got a chance to really talk."

"She just told me she's on her way here. I wonder what that was all about," Cleo informed her.

About ten minutes later the singing blonde of the group appeared in the doorway. The café was decently packed and it took Bella a minute to find the other girls. She was more nervous than she'd expected to meet up with Emma again. Something about her seemed different and nothing at all like the others had told her. Yes, she was nice and stubborn and pushy. Bella had dealt with those types of people before. In Bella's perspective, Emma just didn't fit anymore and maybe that was with the group, her boyfriend or any other part of her life. Bella didn't know the girl well enough to decide what part of her life was so complicated. All Bella knew was that Emma had a very odd aura around her and Bella was not too fond of it.

"Hiya!" Rikki scooted over towards the wall, making a space available to her roommate.

Bella smiled almost innocently, "Hey."

"How was the beach?" Cleo asked the singer.

"Almost as good as the old one. Will disagrees, but he's only thinking of the diving aspect of it all. Maybe if we go for a swim we'll know better?"

Cleo jumped at the idea, "I really have meant to, but tonight Lewis is taking me to this Italian place downtown for dinner."

"I didn't mean today," Bella thought for a moment, "How's tomorrow? School starts in three days, might as well get as much swimming done before classes start and we don't have the time."

"I actually have some last-minute things to do around the apartment," Cleo declined yet again.

Rikki kept quiet, she wasn't feeling up for a swim. She hadn't felt up to much of anything since seeing Zane the day before. Her mind was just too jumbled to focus on other things. She felt kind of bad for Bella but then again, she did have to see her practically everyday from then on. What was one swimming session compared to paying half of the bills?

Emma watched the exchange and suddenly felt a wave of emotion wash over her for Bella, "I can probably go tomorrow. I'm watching movies all night with Ash later today. Otherwise I'd suggest now."

"Oh, great!" Bella was genuinely happy, "I can't wait to see the coral reefs around here. Will says they might even be prettier than around Mako. I can't bring myself to believe him until I've seen it for myself, you know?"

"I remember in Fiji, I went for a quick swim and the ocean was mucky and practically brown near this island I went to check out. Let's home they don't have the same problem around here," Emma tried to have a decent conversation with Bella. She had to at least give her replacement a shot, right?

The girls sat for a few more hours, drinking and chatting away. Emma told stories and basked in the attention for a little while longer. Rikki stayed quiet unless someone asked her something directly. She was glad Emma and Bella seemed to be getting on well, she just didn't have the energy to add to the conversation. Cleo was over the moon about everything she brought up, it seemed as though she'd never come down from her high point. Between college, her apartment and the crazy things she's experiencing away from her family, Cleo felt reanimated for some reason. She wasn't about to complain about it, though.

The outing was only stopped when Cleo realized the time and raced to meet Lewis. Emma went home to Ash and their probably awkward movie night, as she had put it. Bella decided to go stop by Will's before, maybe going home for the night. Rikki walked alone and kept her hands in her pockets the entire way home.


	3. Two Steps Back

Two Steps Back 

Rikki sipped at her latte, trying to keep up with Cleo's lengthy explanation of her date the night before. As the brunette rambled continually, Rikki couldn't help but look around the cafe. The same waitress as the day before was serving people on the opposing side of the joint; the girls had gotten a guy they had never seen before. Looking back at Cleo, she saw that the brunette had taken a break and was currently rehydrating herself with a smoothie. Rikki smiled gently at the girl across from her.

And then her mood was ruined drastically.

Zane and Will walked in, the two had grown closer over the past months and quickly got over their previous differences. These days they were closer friends than Zane and Lewis, considering Lewis felt like he had more of a duty to Rikki than Zane. Will was just a nice guy like that though, and Rikki knew he considered her one of his closest friends. But, as they strutted into the cafe, Rikki automatically dipped her head down. She should have been used to this kind of run in, it had happened more times than she could count with that very dark haired man anyways.

He, himself, was scanning the room for a table when his eyes landed on the curly blonde sitting across from a familiar brunette.

Zane smiled and walked up the the ladies, "How's it going?"

Neither one of the girls moved over to give them a place to sit, "It's going well."

Rikki was glad Cleo spoke up. Even though no one knew about her run in with Zane at the beach the other day, they somehow always knew when anything about him was getting to her. She sighed out of relief.

He only turned his attention toward Rikki when she didn't answer, "How're you liking the new town?"

"It's fine, thanks."

Will moved in to try and save the day, "Let's go get a drink, mate."

"I heard you and Bella moved in together. That must be fun," Zane metaphorically pushed Will away. Will gave up and left to go get a drink at the bar.

Cleo felt really awkward and out of place, not wanting to leave Rikki alone but also not comfortable there herself, Cleo went to go join Will.

Rikki wanted to kick her in the tail for that one, "It is. Only, we've just gotten settle in a day or so ago."

Zane took over the opposing booth, "I've gotten a place on my own. Will's thinking about surprising Bella and moving up here, so he might be joining me soon."

"That must be fun," She half-heartedly mimicked him.

He chuckled and looked at her through his thick eyelashes, "So, what're you going to major in?"

She did her signature eye roll, "Psychology. With a minor in European History."

"You always did love European art."

"Still do."

There was a pause but Rikki was shocked to realize it was a comfortable one.

"I'm going to try a Communications Technology major and a minor in Business," Zane felt the need to inform her. She smiled slightly to the last part.

"Sounds like you've got it all figured out."

Zane looked her over for a moment, "Not everything."

She chuckled and turned around to look at Will and Cleo, "Did we just awkward them away from us?"

It was now Zane's turn to laugh, "I think so."

"That's going to turn out to be a problem one day."

"Nah, it'll go away."

Rikki stared at him, taking in all of his masculine beauty, she had forgotten how much better he looked up close and in person other than in her old pictures hiding away under her bed. She actually started to feel self conscious about said pictures and everything else she had saved from their surprisingly long relationship. Then she remembered she had left a picture of them kissing at a party in her wallet. _What an embarrassment, Rikki Chadwick. Get over this guy, already! _

"What're you and Cleo up to today?" Zane asked curiously.

Rikki pursed her lips as she thought, "Nothing really. How about you and Will?"

He chuckled, "We actually just ran into each other outside. So we both were going to be right losers today anyways."

Rikki laughed at him, "You're a looser _everyday_, Zane. Don't act like you haven't noticed."

"It's too painful to think about," He joked, enjoying the smile painted onto her delicate features.

She tucked a curl behind her ear, "That explains it."

Zane didn't want to push his luck but he also didn't want her to loose her smile, "How about we all check out the campus together? Just so we have some idea where we're going when school starts up."

Rikki let her smile turn softer as she thought over the invitation, "Why not?"

Zane's smile sent shivers down her spine and she couldn't help but smile back.

They got up and made their way toward the others, their shoulders bumping every now and again.

"Do you guys want to come check out the campus before classes start up?" Zane asked their friends. His excitement was obvious.

Rikki sighed, almost like she had given in to something terrible when in all actuality this could be a good day to set boundaries and friendship rules. If her and Zane were going to actually give that a shot.

Cleo put some cash down on the bar, "Sure."

"Alright, wasn't going to do much of anything today anyways," Will put down his share of the tab.

* * *

Bella and Emma had met up just before noon and immediately jumped into the water. Several hours had passed and they were silently getting to know each other better and better. Both girls still had their doubts about the other, but overall they knew they could trust each other. Anyways, they were the two fasted mermaids out of the group.

Just before they were going to call it quits for the day, they caught sight of a small island. Smaller than Mako. And as they approached it, they realized the island was so tiny that it only had sand, a couple of trees and bushes. Swimming around it, they made an intriguing discovery.

A decent sized ship was wrecked and rusted just off shore. It looked like the bottom was cut in half, but never made it to the deck to completely separate the front and back of it. It must have been there for a long while, due to the discoloring and stench.

"What should we do?" Bella squinted toward her new friend.

Emma stared at the shipwreck, "I say we go home and then bring the others out here tomorrow. That way Rikki could dry us off quickly and we can go look around that tiny island."

"Sounds like a plan," Bella agreed and they raced off toward the mainland.

* * *

As the afternoon came to an end, Rikki had allowed Zane to drive her home, even though it was two blocks away from campus. He had insisted and she couldn't say no to his puppy dog eyes after such a wonderful day they had spent together. They had stayed platonic, barely touching each other. They did nothing but talk and laugh and joke. It was nice to be able to check up on one another without the headache of their relationship cowering over them. But then again, now that they were nearing her apartment building, she couldn't help but think about their relationship.

"Thanks for the unneeded ride home," Rikki playfully smiled at him while unfastening her seatbelt.

Zane smirked back, "I had fun today. It was great seeing you."

She opened the door and turned around to lean through the window once she's closed it again, "I did too. And it was... You know, it wouldn't be too bad if we just chatted every once in a while?"

Zane glanced at the road around them, "It wouldn't be too bad at all."

She smiled a bit more and started to stand straight, "Then I guess I'll be seeing you around."

"You might," He mimicked her and left her laughing outside her apartment complex, completely content with the days events.

Taking the steps two at a time, Rikki soon swooped open their door and kicked off her shoes. Bella was in her room, Rikki could faintly hear some popular hippie song coming from her little iPod stand. Smiling even more to herself, she sent Will a text.

_Rikki:_

_I just got home to your gf playing that song neither one of us can stand. Oh.. my night will be rough. _

She continued her walk through the apartment and turned off any lights that were unneeded. She grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and a packet of peanut butter crackers from the pantry before waltzing into her room. Sitting her snack on the nightstand, she slipped off her dark skirt and red t-shirt. Next, she found something to wear to bed and as she walked into her en suite, she noticed she'd chose one of Zane's old shirts and a pair of shorts he used to love. Shaking her head at the unneeded behavior from herself, she quickly brushed her teeth. As she began rinsing out her mouth, she heard her phone ding from the other room.

As skillfully as possible, she cranked up her own music from her iPod and looked at her phone. A song by an old 80s hair band came on and she started bouncing to the beat.

_Will:_

_I'm not going to mention her taste in music when I call her in a minute. Are you just getting __home? How much longer were you and Zane there?_

Will had given Cleo a ride home before heading back down south a few hours before Rikki and Zane had even thought to leave. The two had just decided to give up on the campus and started a familiar walk on the beach. Minus the hand holding and kissing, which Rikki was very surprised to see Zane restrain himself from doing so. She almost did a few times, if she had to be honest with herself.

_Rikki:_

_We went to the beach for a bit._

_Will:_

_What happened?_

_Rikki:_

_Surprisingly, nothing. Why do you ask?_

_Will:_

_He's been talking about you nonstop. I'm shocked he didn't try something._

_Rikki:_

_For all we know, that could have been him trying something. And just between you and me... it almost worked._

_Will:_

_Rikki. You need to make up your mind about the poor guy. He's been chasing after you for years now._

_Rikki:_

_And he keeps screwing it up every time. _

_Will:_

_Then why do you keep going back to him?_

_Rikki:_

_You of all people should know why._

_Will:_

_Why?_

_Rikki:_

_Because he got under my skin, Will. I can't just forget about him. _

_Will:_

_He was your first love. I get that. _

_Rikki:_

_No, Will. He wasn't JUST my first love. I was in love with him. I couldn't give up on him._

_Will:_

_And what about now?_

Rikki huffed at his last response and threw her phone into a random drawer. Reaching for her snack, she bitterly ate in bed and contemplated Will's question. What was she going to do now that they were just friends? That neither one of them actually made a move? And they were stuck in this place forever? To be friends?

Did Rikki even want that?


	4. A Grip of Restraint

A Grip Of Restraint 

"So what is it you wanted to tell me the other day?" Rikki finally got around to asking her roommate.

Bella thought for a second before piping up, "I want you to meet someone."

"Who?" Rikki became confused.

"He's our new bassist and you'd really like him."

Rikki shook her head and started for the door, "If this is some kind of set up. Stop it. I'm not in the market for a boyfriend right now, Bell."

"Just give him a shot. His name is Cooper," Bella followed her friend out of the apartment and down the wooden steps.

"No. Tell Cooper no. Just no," Rikki's pace slowly got faster and soon Bella was racing to keep up.

"Why not?"

"Because I said so, Bella."

The singer was not impressed with that answer, "No, you have to do better than that."

Rikki halted and turned toward Bella, furry in her eyes, "Drop it, Bella."

"Why, Rikki!? You deserve a nice guy!"

Rikki tried not to loose control as a puddle started to sizzle out of the corner of her eye, "A nice guy? You've only just met him!"

"So? Anyone is nicer than-" Bella started.

Rikki wouldn't have any of it, the sky started to darken, "If you dare try and say that Zane is not nice-"

"Rikki! He isn't! How many times does he need to screw you over for you to finally get that?!" Bella was pleading.

The curly blonde turned away in frustration, "None of that was meant to hurt me, Bella. You don't know him like I do."

"Then help me understand, Rikki. Help me understand why you'll let one guy keep you from happiness with another!" Bella huffed and sat down on a bench close by.

The cloud began to disperse, "Bella, none of you guys saw what I saw. He's completely different when we're alone. And yes, when we worked the café, he acted that way in front of people more. But it was never the same. He's kind, genuine and honest. He knows he's greedy, stingy and occasionally selfish. Bella, you weren't here when it all started, you only saw the downfall. When we fell in love... The way we fell in love.."

"Everything else just seemed to come easier? Every obstacle was worth it? Even the tiniest of moments?" Bella finished for her best friend.

Rikki stared off at the traffic a few meters away, "If I had to put it into words, yeah."

"I get that. If Will did something like Zane did last year... I'd be hesitant to move on and give up on him. We might not have as much of a troublesome relationship and we haven't been together nearly as long.. But I can understand, Rikki," Bella tried to show her friend that she was willing to change her view on the entire situation.

Rikki sat next to her, "Do you remember those lockets Cleo and I used to wear?"

"Emma has the same one."

"Well, he's the whole reason why I got mine. Cleo had already gotten hers because she had found it. But with mine, I saw it in a window. Zane was with me. And the second I ran off to go tell the girls that it matched Cleo's.. He went back in to buy it. Little did he know that before he could come back with the money, this wretched whore from our high school bought it. Just to piss me off too, and it worked. But one thing after another, she said she'd give it to him for a kiss. He did it, saying it meant nothing. We all ended up outside near the water and she threw it in. Saying she only ever said she'd part with it," Rikki explained.

"Okay, none of that helped your case," Bella tried to joke.

Rikki smiled and looked away with the memory, "He dove right in after it, without a seconds thought. He got it after a couple of tries and when he go out.. the look on his face was one I'll never forget. He was selfless and honored to be there. To hand me something I was throwing a fit over. He had no idea why it meant so much to me, but he went ahead and handed it to me. His eyes... Bella, I've never seen him look more vulnerable. All he wanted was for me to accept him. To accept his gesture. He didn't understand it and he didn't want to, if that's what I wanted. I treated him so badly, just in little ways daily. I started ignorant fights and ignored him continually. But he just stuck around and took every blow."

Bella let her breath before asking, "You really were in love with him?"

Rikki sighed and confessed, "I don't know if 'were' is the right word to use. I mean, I would have agreed with you a month ago.."

"But you've seen him again, haven't you?" Bella questioned and Rikki nodded.

The singer put her hand on the other girls shoulder, "You have every right to give him another chance. You have every right not to be over him. But you still also have the right to go out and give someone else a shot, Rikki. Unless you're absolutely positive what you want, you deserve some fun and some options."

There was a pause; both ladies deep in thought.

"Let's just go meet up with the girls. I'm not feeling much for a swim, so let's make this quick," Rikki jumped up and continued their walk toward the shore.

Chleo and Emma met the other two girls at the wreckage, already waiting on the beach for Rikki's power to allow them to search the small island. Once everyone was completely dried off, the four mermaids spread out on all directions. Always able to see at least one other girl from the group, showing just how small the island was.

"Look at this!" Emma didn't need to yell very loud before the others found her. She had an old, leather notebook in her hand that looked to be held together by red string.

Cleo observed the journal much like her boyfriend would have, "Interesting. Anything else around here?"

"No, it seems to be the only thing unnatural on the island," Emma suggested, "And by that, I mean, man-made."

"I bet Lewis could figure out a way to see how old it is," Cleo spoke.

Emma tried opening it, only to see that the paper was so old, it was crumbling, "Maybe that's a good idea, he'll need to figure out if we can open it without actually hurting it."

"Alright, sounds like a plan. I'll see you guys later," Rikki spoke quickly before jumping back into the ocean, leaving the other three girls to deal with how to get the notebook back to the mainland without submerging it underwater or anything. Rikki swam her fastest, not wanting to be in the water any longer than she had to.

* * *

In my account bio, a link to something similar to my vision of the shipwreck, with a smaller beach than in the picture can be found.

Secondly, reviews really help me. as you can tell, i try to write once or twice a week. But whenever I'm not feeling into it and haven't for a while, reviews really give me the fuel to continue. It may sound cheeky, but the encouragement and criticism really help me write. So, please keep them up. (:

Thirdly, I must confess that I only made the guy in Bella and Nate's band named Cooper... just so the ship name could be 'Riper'...

Lastly, Thank you for the continued support and this book/story/series/season should be longer than I originally suspected. I have it all planned out, but I keep tweaking and adding in scenes as I write. So some overall plot changes will be expected. But that being said, every time I get a chapter or two done, I always want to publish them right then and there... So that's why they seem so short. Sorry about that, but it will be made up for.

Lovely reading. *.*


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